1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical modulation device and a projection apparatus, adapted for use in a color liquid crystal projector or the like which magnifyingly projects, a color image displayed on an image modulating device (optical modulation device) such as a liquid crystal display device onto a screen.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally there have been proposed various projection apparatus for magnified projection of a color image formed by a liquid crystal display device onto a screen. However, the optical modulation device represented by the liquid crystal display device has been associated with a low efficiency of utilization of the illuminating light, because a significant portion of the area is occupied by the black matrix which shields the wirings of the optical modulation control portions provided in the peripheral area of the pixels.
FIG. 10 is a schematic partial view of an optical modulation device 200 which can improve the efficiency of utilization of the light. Referring to FIG. 10, a microlens array 121 is provided in front of color filters 151R, 151G, 151B for condensing the illuminating light W from a white light source onto pixels R, G, B of an optical modulation device 120, thereby improving the efficiency of light utilization of the optical modulation device 200. In FIG. 10 there are also shown a transparent substrate 122, and a black matrix 205.
However the optical modulation device shown in FIG. 10 utilizes the color filters 151R, 151G, 151B for extracting red, green and blue colored lights corresponding to the R, G and B pixels, and each color filter transmits the light of a wavelength region corresponding to the component to be extracted, but absorbs the light of other wavelength regions, thereby wasting such the light of such wavelength regions and resulting in a low efficiency of light utilization.